Licensing manufacturers, distributors, and registered exporters as vendors prohibited.

(1) Except as provided in this section, any applicant may receive a license as a manufacturer or distributor or may be registered as an exporter, but a license or registration may not be issued to a manufacturer, distributor, or exporter as a vendor, and a license or registration may not be issued to a vendor as a manufacturer, distributor, or exporter.

(2)(a) If any applicant for a vendor’s license or renewal thereof is an individual, such individual is within the provisions of subsection (1) if he or she is interested or connected, directly or indirectly, with any corporation which is engaged, directly or indirectly, or through any subsidiary or affiliate corporation, including any stock ownership exceeding 0.5 percent owned individually, including a 0.5 percent interest in a blind or revocable trust, as set forth in subsection (3), in manufacturing, distributing, or exporting alcoholic beverages under a license or registration of this state or any state of the United States.

(b) If any applicant for a vendor’s license or renewal thereof is a copartnership, such copartnership is within the provisions of subsection (1) if any member of the copartnership is interested or connected, directly or indirectly, with any corporation which is engaged, directly or indirectly, or through any subsidiary or affiliate corporation, including any stock ownership as set forth in subsection (3), in manufacturing, distributing, or exporting alcoholic beverages under a license or registration of this state or any state of the United States.

(3) If any applicant for a vendor’s license or the renewal thereof is a corporation, such corporation is within the provisions of subsection (1) if such corporation is affiliated with, directly or indirectly, any other corporation which is engaged in manufacturing, distributing, or exporting alcoholic beverages under a license or registration of this state or any other state of the United States, or if such applicant corporation is controlled by or the majority stock therein owned by another corporation, which latter corporation owns or controls in any way the majority stock or controlling interest in any other corporation that is engaged, directly or indirectly, in manufacturing, distributing, or exporting alcoholic beverages under a license or registration in this state or any other state in the United States.

(4) If any applicant for a manufacturer’s or distributor’s license or an exporter’s registration, or renewal thereof, is an individual or copartnership, such individual or copartnership is within the provisions of subsection (1) if the individual or any member of the copartnership is interested or connected, directly or indirectly, with any corporation which is engaged, directly or indirectly, or through any subsidiary or affiliate corporation, including any stock ownership as set forth in subsection (5) in selling alcoholic beverages as a vendor under a license of this state.

(5) If any applicant for a manufacturer’s or distributor’s license or an exporter’s registration, or the renewal thereof, is a corporation, such corporation is within the provisions of subsection (1) if such corporation is affiliated with, directly or indirectly, any other corporation which is engaged in selling alcoholic beverages as vendor under a license of this state or when such applicant corporation is controlled by, or the majority stock therein owned by another corporation, which latter corporation owns or controls in any way the majority stock or controlling interest in any other corporation that is engaged, directly or indirectly, in selling alcoholic beverages as vendor under a license of this state.